I'll Walk
by Starlit Purple
Summary: A story about a love that survives through it all...even when tragedy strikes. Andros & Ashley oneshot. Recently edited!


Disclaimer: Power Rangers is the property of Disney and the song "I'll Walk" belongs to Bucky Covington.

A/N: This is what comes of procrastination for NaNo...a random one-shot. This fic was **totally** inspired by the song "I'll Walk" by Bucky Covington, one of my new favorite songs. You should go listen to it if you haven't, it's a goodie. :) Enjoy!

A/N2: This has been edited so it's not as choppy anymore. I hope you like it!

**I'll Walk**

"Do you ever think about going back to KO-35?" Ashley asked randomly.

Andros glanced over at her slowly, wondering where that question came from. The two of them had just left Ashley's senior prom and were on their way back to her house. They had had the perfect night. Ashley had worn a stunning long black dress that had a slit on both sides going almost all the way up to her hip. It had surprised him when he had first seen her, he had been expecting her to wear her old color. It had been a little over a year since they had gotten rid of evil and they all still seemed to wear their colors religiously.

He thought about her question before answering. "Well, yeah of course I do."

Ashley sat silently in the passenger seat, not saying anything. Andros glanced over at her and quickly defended, "It's my home, Ash."

Ashley swallowed and looked out her window at the streetlights going by. "I thought...your home was with us...with me," she whispered. Tears filled her eyes, making the streetlights blurry streaks of light as they whizzed by.

"My home _is_ with you Ash, I would never go to KO-35 if you said that you wouldn't go with me," Andros replied. When Ashley still said nothing, he sighed. "You asked me if I ever think about going back. And the truth is: yes, yes I do, all the time, but never without you." He reached out and put his hand over hers and she slowly pulled it away from his grasp, looking at him finally. "Pull over," she told him softly.

Andros pulled off onto the shoulder of the road and sighed. "I don't know what you are crying for," he said grabbing her hand. She reached for the door with her other hand and said "I'll walk."

Andros frowned at her and opened his mouth to protest. Ashley sighed before he could say anything and said softly, "Please Andros, let go of my hand." Andros looked down at their hands and then released her. He shook his head. "But Ashley--"

"Right now I'm hurt and you don't understand," Ashley cut across him, wiping a tear from her eye. "So just be quiet and later we will talk." She opened the door and got out of the car. Looking back in, she said, "Just leave, don't worry, I'll walk."

Still a little lost as to why Ashley was so upset, Andros let her get out of the car and, after several minutes, put it back into drive and slowly drove away. He drove around for a half an hour before parking near a beautiful wooded area that he and Ashley had deemed "their spot". There was a clearing right in the middle of all the trees that made it private, special. They had come here that night, before prom, and talked and laughed about old memories that they had made together. Until Ashley insisted on teaching him some dance moves to get him ready for prom. He had a hard time with most of the ones she showed him and was very glad of all the trees surrounding them.

He reached into his pocket when his cell phone started ringing. He figured it was probably Ashley calling to have him pick her back up. It was getting very late, the prom had gone until midnight and they had stayed to the end of it. Andros was very surprised when he saw that it was not Ashley. It wasn't anyone he knew either, the caller id showed a string of numbers that he didn't recognize at all. He pushed the talk button and raised it to his ear.

"Hello."

"_Hello, is this Andros?"_

"Yes. Who am I talking to?"

"_This is Angel Grove Memorial Hospital. Do you know a girl named Ashley Hammond?"_

Andros' heart plummeted into his stomach as he stammered, "Yes...yes I do. I...Is she okay?"

He could hear the woman on the other end sigh as she replied, "_She's been hit by a car and she's hurt pretty bad." _The woman paused for a moment, but continued when Andros didn't reply. "_I am sorry."_

Fear gripping at his heart, Andros just hung up the phone, not listening to the woman as she said something about just contacting Ashley's parents. He turned to head back to the car, guilty thoughts running through his head. It was his fault that Ashley was hurt. He had let her go, let her walk home. Alone. He should have stopped her, done something...but he didn't. And now Ashley was badly hurt because of it. Because of him.

He wiped at his tears and got into the car. He couldn't break down now, she would be okay. They would have told him if they thought that she wouldn't make it...wouldn't they? He pushed the thought from his mind and drove as fast as he could to the hospital.

When he got there, Ashley's father met him outside her door and explained what the doctors had told him about the accident. "They said that the driver never saw her around the bend. It was dark out and she was wearing a black dress...," Mr. Hammond trailed off as he broke down.

"But she'll be okay, right?" Andros prompted.

The older man looked up at him and said, "Her legs won't move."

Tears sprung up in Andros' eyes and he silently asked Mr. Hammond if he could see her. The man nodded and stepped aside to let him go in. Ashley's mother glanced up as he entered and got up to let him have some time with Ashley alone.

He stayed by the the door, tears running down his face as he looked at her. She was awake now and she had tears in her eyes also. She looked up and told him softly, firmly, "I'll walk. Please...come and hold my hand? Right now I hurt and I don't understand."

Andros crossed the room and sat down beside her bed. He gently took her hand in his and listened while she continued. "Let's just be quiet and later we can talk. Please stay. And don't worry," she said calmly, "I'll walk."

Andros stayed by her side and held her hand until she left the hospital. He held her hand through everything, the weeks and months of therapy. And he held her hand several months later, when he asked her to be his bride.

A few months later, Ashley was sitting in her wheelchair in a beautiful white wedding dress, her closest friends and family all around her. She had dreamed since she was a little girl to have her daddy bring her down the aisle. So from her wheelchair she looked up at him and smiled, and said, "I'll walk. Please hold my hand." He looked at her with unsure eyes and she continued, "I know that this will hurt, I know you understand."

Ashley saw her father's eyes tear up as he grinned at her solemnly. He reached out slowly and took her hands, helping her stand on her, still weak, legs. "Please, Daddy don't cry, this is already hard," she told him. He wiped away his tears and let her lean on him for support.

They waited for Karone and Cassie, her bridesmaids dressed in beautiful lavender and pink dresses, to walk slowly down the aisle. Finally the wedding march started and Ashley gripped her dad's arm tightly with one hand and his hand in her other, and took a deep breath. "Let's go. Don't worry...I'll walk," she whispered.

A/N: Kinda sad but I hope you enjoyed it. Review please.


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